Velvet Elvis

So Ally lent me his Velvet Elvis book to have a read at, and wow. Rob Bell is a very gifted guy. I’m loving his insights into faith right now. The quote above is stuck in my mind, so I’m gonna be taking some time to figure out its impact on how I live.

The basic premise of Velvet Elvis is that faith is dynamic, not static. That we are constantly ‘repainting’ faith, because we are trying to understand better how to follow Jesus and what that looks like in action. It is understanding that methods change, that the principles (for example, church doctrines) we live by are someone’s interpretation of the Bible, and therefore could be wrong (i’m not saying they always are, but that they could be), and so they may change over time, as we understand the Bible more.

I guess thats why I love communities that let me ask questions. Because often the things I read in the Bible throw up more questions than answers. And so I question. For example, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Fairly simple statement, right? But… How do you define love? What if my definition of love is different from someone else’s definition? Who decides who is wrong and who is right? And who says their decision is the right one? And what does it mean for God to be love?

You see what I mean? Thats why I’m excited about this book. Thanks for letting me quesition. Thanks for joining me on the journey. Let’s keep adding to the commentary.